In general, vehicle drivelines transmit torque from a vehicle's engine to its wheels. Automotive drivelines conventionally include a differential equipped between sideshafts of a front axle, between sideshafts of a rear axle, or between sideshafts of both axles. Each axle typically includes a left sideshaft and a right sideshaft. The differential allows wheels on one sideshaft to spin faster or slower than wheels on the other sideshaft. This occurs, for instance, when an automobile is turning a corner. The differential also apportions driven torque flow between the sideshafts.
Differentials typically have one or more gearsets disposed in a housing. Designing and constructing the housing presents several challenges. The challenges are sometimes set by the original equipment manufacturer. For instance, the housing is expected to endure certain stresses experienced during its use, should satisfy certain overall mass demands, and should meet certain packaging constraints. These challenges are oftentimes inflexible, and can be at odds with one another. Moreover, a housing's design and construction should be compatible with manufacturing capabilities.